ABSTRACT
Having established the local political and policy framework that has influenced
Manchester’s governance over the past couple of decades, it is now appropriate to
turn the focus on to the renewal, enhancement and revitalisation of the city centre.
This chapter will pay particular regard to the mobilisation of institutional and tech-
nical capacity at the local level as a result of the bombing of the city centre, initially
focusing on the urban management challenges that this process was to address.
Following discussion of the devastating impact of the bomb and the emergency
planning response, the present chapter considers the opportunities that this
afforded for enhancing the city centre, and the approach undertaken to establish a
framework for recovery. It considers, in turn, the organisation of an appeal fund with
the short-term objective of offering support for the individuals and small businesses
directly affected by the bomb, the establishment of a specialist task force to
manage the recovery and renewal process, and the development of a master-
planning framework for the development and delivery of renewal.
